Saturday, August 2, 2008

I can't stop thinking about an excellent movie I recently watched. More accurately, it was a BBC Mini-Series we rented from Netflix: Bleak House, based on the book by Charles Dickens. I can't even tell you how much I loved it. I think there were at least 14 episodes or something like that, and to me, it just seemed like one great, suspenseful movie. I just kept wanting more and more. It stars Gillian Anderson of X-Files fame, and I can't decide if the reason it was so good was the unbelievably great story by Dickens, or the artful way the movie was created by the BBC.

And it really makes me incredulous that I haven't read more of Charles Dickens' books. In fact, I haven't read ANY!! I've only seen plays or movies of Oliver Twist, The Christmas Carol, Dombey and Son, and David Copperfield. And all of them are so great. Are any of you avid Dickens readers? Should I just keep renting movies or should I pick up a few titles? I'm seriously tempted to read Bleak House just to see how much the movie deviated from the actual book. Usually the book is better, but I will say with one other classic, Hollywood did a much better job- don't read The Count of Montecristo. The movie changed things around and did a much better job.

While we're on the subject of TV and movies, here are 2 other things we love. BBC's Robin Hood! Last year I raved about Season 1, and we also liked Season 2. The finale is re-running tomorrow night, but if I were you, I'd rent Season 1 & watch it all in succession.

Second, I thought I was the one and only nerd that secretly enjoyed watching the show, How It's Made, over my husband's shoulder, but now I find out it's actually a pretty widely popular show. One of those things that's SO NERDY that it's a little charming. The thing is my KIDS LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that show. The other day, when Eli came inside having gashed his forehead pretty bad, we were trying to calm him down, so we sat him on the couch with an ice pack, and said he could watch his favorite show. What did he ask for? How It's Made!!! When you watch it, you'll find out that it has this strange calming effect. We have started TiVo-ing it and using it as a bribe! "If you do... you can watch How It's Made." (Cheers & jumping up and down by the kids!!) Unfortunately, there's no DVD to rent or buy, but here is the link to The Science Channel & you can check when it's on in your area.

4 comments:

I need to find out what channel this How It's Made is on. By the way, I loved a Christmas Carol, it is an excellent Christmas read, and I love a Tale of Two Cities. They are wonderful books by Dickens, and I am quite surprised that you have not read more Dickens--because I think you'd love them both. Do it!